Food for thought as rivals chew the fat

From European Voice's Entre-Nous column

9/11/02, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/23/14, 8:23 PM CET

Last weekend’s UN-sponsored talks between ageing Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, Rauf Denktash (78) and Giafcos Clerides (83), may not have proven fruitful but they nonetheless inspired some marvellous reportage.

The front page of Cyprus Today insisted on supplying all the details of their encounter, the latest in a series of discussions about settling their decades-old differences before the island joins the EU.

The newspaper even revealed what these two gourmands had for lunch: “artichokes and green beans in mushroom sauce, followed by chicken and mushroom cream sauce with fresh pasta, and chocolate biscuits and coffee”.

We’re not told if any wine was consumed during the nosh-up but one seasoned observer of Cyprus’ affairs has informed EV the two men have both decided to go easy on the booze in recent years for health reasons. As well as a love of fine food, one of the many things the two supposed foes – who apparently have been known to actually enjoy each other’s company – used to share was a weakness for whisky and peanuts.

There is something splendidly parochial about the state-aid investigation launched last week by the European Commission’s competition department into JC Decaux, a French advertising company. The question …